Singapore Literature Prize
Among the many awards in Singapore, the Singapore Literature Prize is a biennial award that recognises published works by Singaporean authors. The Prize is administered by the National Book Development Council of Singapore and sponsored by the National Library Board. The Prize is awarded in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. There are twelve categories, each with a $10,000 cash prize. In addition to the cash prize, winners also receive a gold medallion and an award certificate.
Among the notable poets are Alfian bin Sa’at, Boey Kim Cheng, Philip Jeyaretnam, Yong Shu Hoong, Grace Chia and Topaz Winters. Other poets include Ovidia Yu, Claire Tham, Topaz Winters and Alvin Pang. The list of shortlisted authors is available online.
The winner of the Singapore Literature Prize will receive a cash prize of $300,000 and an award certificate. The prize was first launched in 2009 by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore and the Centre for Liveable Cities. It is awarded biennially and recognizes outstanding contributions to urban communities. Its ethos is to promote thought leadership and encourage exchanges of ideas between cities. It also recognises innovation and cost-effective solutions.
The Singapore Literature Prize is awarded in four languages and is supported by the National Arts Council and the National Library Board. The Prize is organised in partnership with the National Gallery Singapore and will provide young Singaporeans a platform to express their opinions. In addition, the Prize has a long-term goal of reducing carbon emissions by at least 30%.
The winners of the Singapore Prize are selected based on a judging panel which comprises distinguished individuals from the local literary and cultural scene. The award is presented at a ceremony held mid-year. The Prize has been awarded to 12 authors in the first year, each with a SGD10,000 cash prize. These authors are listed below, by language.
Among the winners in the short film category are Alvin Lee, for his film “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” and Bopha Oul, for his film “Further and Away.” In addition to the cash prize, each winner also receives an audio final mix and DCP feature from Mocha Chai Laboratories. Both films also received production services packages worth SGD15,000 from Shooting Gallery Asia. The short film awards jury included Lucky Kuswandi and Khoo Gaik Cheng.
In addition to the prize money, the winner of the prize was required to participate in a timed final in Singapore. The winning swimmer must be a permanent Singapore resident or a student studying in Singapore. The swimmer must have competed in the prelims in Singapore.
The prize will also be presented to the best overall student at the Final Master of Medicine in Diagnostic Radiology Examination. The award will be presented at a ceremony held at the Hard Rock Cafe. The winner will receive a cash prize of SGD1,000. The award may be shared equally in the event of a tie.
The Singapore Prize was founded by Mr Lee Kwan Yew, the first Prime Minister of Singapore. He was instrumental in developing Singapore into a clean, green garden city.